How to Use Excalidraw for Free (No Account Needed)
Excalidraw is a free whiteboard that runs in your browser, with no sign-up and nothing to install. Open excalidraw.com, sketch a small decision flow with boxes, a diamond and labelled arrows, fix a label, and export it as a PNG picture. Example: a made-up library book return.
Step by step
Free, no account
- Excalidraw for free. Excalidraw is a free whiteboard that runs in your browser. You don't pay, install anything or make an account. Here you sketch a small flow and save it as a picture.
- excalidraw.com. Go to excalidraw.com. There's no sign-up and no download. An empty canvas opens straight away, and your drawing is kept in this browser while you work.
Sketch the flow
- Draw a box. The example is a library book return. Pick the rectangle in the toolbar, drag on the canvas, press Enter and type Scan book.
- Decision. Next to the rectangle in the toolbar is the diamond. In a flowchart, a diamond is a decision. Draw one to the right of Scan book and type a short question: Late?
- Arrows. Pick the arrow and drag from the edge of Scan book to the edge of the diamond. Both ends stick to the shapes, so the arrow follows if you move one.
- Draw a box. If the book is late, the member pays a fine. Add a box on the right and type Charge fine.
- Arrows. Draw an arrow from the diamond to Charge fine, press Enter and type Yes. Every path out of a decision should have a label.
- Draw a box. If it's on time, the book goes back on the shelf. Put a box under the diamond and type Put on shelf.
- Arrows. Draw an arrow down from the diamond to Put on shelf and label it No.
- Fix a label. To change a word, click the box, press Enter and type over the text. Here Put on shelf becomes Shelve book.
- The finished sketch. Click an empty spot on the canvas to deselect everything. The finished sketch has 3 steps, 1 decision and a label on both paths out of it.
Save a picture
- Export PNG. To save it as a picture, still for free, open the menu at the top left, choose Export image and click PNG. This saves a .png file you can attach to an email or insert into your requirements document. To paste it straight in instead, click Copy to clipboard in the same dialog.
Recap
- The rules. Open excalidraw.com, no account needed. Drag to draw, press Enter to label, and glue arrows from edge to edge. Then export a PNG to share it.
Common mistakes
- Arrows that don't stick to the shapes. If you start or end an arrow in empty space, it stays put when you move a box, and the flow breaks. Start and finish the drag on the edge of a shape so both ends are glued.
- Typing the label as separate text. Text made with the text tool next to a box doesn't move with it. Select the box and press Enter, then type, so the label sits inside the shape.
- Thinking the drawing is saved online. Without an account, the drawing is kept only in this browser. If you clear your browser data or switch computers, it's gone, so export a PNG or save a copy as an .excalidraw file before you close it.
When a business analyst uses this
In a requirements workshop, sketch the current process live on a shared screen with boxes, a diamond and labelled Yes and No arrows while people talk. Then export a PNG and insert it into the meeting notes or the requirements document (or use Copy to clipboard in the Export image dialog and paste it), so people can confirm the flow before sign-off.
Questions people ask
Can I use Excalidraw for free?
Yes. excalidraw.com is free to use in your browser with no account, and you can draw and export PNG pictures without paying. There is also a paid plan called Excalidraw+, but you don't need it for this.
How do I use Excalidraw?
Pick a shape in the toolbar and drag on the canvas, then press Enter to type a label. Join shapes with arrows dragged from edge to edge, and export the result from the menu at the top left.
How do I open an Excalidraw file?
Go to excalidraw.com, open the menu at the top left and choose Open, then pick your .excalidraw file. The drawing loads on the canvas so you can keep editing it.
